Saturday's letters: Right to vote

Published: Saturday, June 21, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 20, 2014 at 3:18 p.m.

To the editor: In a June 1 letter to the editor, a writer described cases of voter fraud in North Carolina numbering in the tens of thousands and cited as his source the Civitas Institute. Its website describes this organization as “North Carolina’s Conservative Voice,” and its articles on a wide range of subjects are all written by the same person — the expert on everything.

In my own research on “voter fraud,” I used data from the State Board of Elections, which reported 125 cases of alleged voter fraud in 2012, the last full election. There is no record on any of these cases being prosecuted or convicted. (Remember innocent until proven guilty?)

In the 2012 election in North Carolina, 4,500,000 people voted. If all of the alleged cases were convicted, it would amount to 0.0027 percent of the votes cast. But under the guise of voter fraud, current N.C. legislation will effectively rob thousands of N.C. voters of their constitutional right to vote. And we all believe in the Constitution, don’t we? Or only when it serves our purpose?

Roy Harris

Hendersonville

Medical service

To the editor: The government, in the VA medical system, is having trouble operating a medical service that only involves a small portion of the population. So that qualifies it to provide medical service to the entire country under the Affordable Care Act? I think not!

Unlike the current military, the veterans requiring health care, for the most part, are people who were conscripted into service, not volunteers. They deserve the very finest health care available.

Now, the plan is to allow these veterans to obtain health care in the private sector if they cannot be served by the VA within a reasonable amount of time after requesting an appointment.

What will be the impact on the health care system now developing under the Affordable Care Act? You know, the one that there is much concern over because of “overloading” of the current system.

As my grandmother would say, “I don’t know if these people know the difference between putting out wash and taking it in!”

Joe Stanley Sr.

Saluda

Regain control

To the editor: In a democracy, what kind of government can people provide for themselves if they do not learn and participate in the intricacies of government and provide fairly for the needs of the people?

When leaders do emerge, people resign themselves to being led and pretend to rule from the bleachers while they busy themselves attending to their own interests. These, then, take priority over the need to govern. Consequently, government falls into the hands of the few, and democracy crumbles like clay walls, and those who would lead also busy themselves looking out after their own interests.

This kind of “democracy” is ideal for a system of capitalism where money and power rise to the top in the hands of the few and “the people” have to forage for themselves, making bargains where they can without due consideration for the welfare of others.

Today, only the remnants of democracy remain here in our country. If we are to regain control, we must be willing to assume responsibility for the whole country. This can be a huge undertaking, especially since we have become a very complicated nation and our government has become so secretive and powerful.

<p>To the editor: In a June 1 letter to the editor, a writer described cases of voter fraud in North Carolina numbering in the tens of thousands and cited as his source the Civitas Institute. Its website describes this organization as North Carolina’s Conservative Voice, and its articles on a wide range of subjects are all written by the same person  the expert on everything.</p><p>In my own research on voter fraud, I used data from the State Board of Elections, which reported 125 cases of alleged voter fraud in 2012, the last full election. There is no record on any of these cases being prosecuted or convicted. (Remember innocent until proven guilty?)</p><p>In the 2012 election in North Carolina, 4,500,000 people voted. If all of the alleged cases were convicted, it would amount to 0.0027 percent of the votes cast. But under the guise of voter fraud, current N.C. legislation will effectively rob thousands of N.C. voters of their constitutional right to vote. And we all believe in the Constitution, don’t we? Or only when it serves our purpose?</p><p><em>Roy Harris</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p><h3>Medical service</h3>
<p>To the editor: The government, in the VA medical system, is having trouble operating a medical service that only involves a small portion of the population. So that qualifies it to provide medical service to the entire country under the Affordable Care Act? I think not!</p><p>Unlike the current military, the veterans requiring health care, for the most part, are people who were conscripted into service, not volunteers. They deserve the very finest health care available.</p><p>Now, the plan is to allow these veterans to obtain health care in the private sector if they cannot be served by the VA within a reasonable amount of time after requesting an appointment.</p><p>What will be the impact on the health care system now developing under the Affordable Care Act? You know, the one that there is much concern over because of overloading of the current system.</p><p>As my grandmother would say, I don’t know if these people know the difference between putting out wash and taking it in!</p><p><em>Joe Stanley Sr.</em></p><p><em>Saluda</em></p><h3>Regain control</h3>
<p>To the editor: In a democracy, what kind of government can people provide for themselves if they do not learn and participate in the intricacies of government and provide fairly for the needs of the people?</p><p>When leaders do emerge, people resign themselves to being led and pretend to rule from the bleachers while they busy themselves attending to their own interests. These, then, take priority over the need to govern. Consequently, government falls into the hands of the few, and democracy crumbles like clay walls, and those who would lead also busy themselves looking out after their own interests.</p><p>This kind of democracy is ideal for a system of capitalism where money and power rise to the top in the hands of the few and the people have to forage for themselves, making bargains where they can without due consideration for the welfare of others.</p><p>Today, only the remnants of democracy remain here in our country. If we are to regain control, we must be willing to assume responsibility for the whole country. This can be a huge undertaking, especially since we have become a very complicated nation and our government has become so secretive and powerful.</p><p>Something drastic must be done.</p><p><em>Don Keefauver</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p>